High Performance Scintillator and Beam Monitoring System

Nuclear physics has a need for new enabling materials and technologies for next-generation detectors at DOE particle accelerator research facilities. In particular, improvements are needed in high-performance scintillator materials for detecting and counting charged particles over a wide range of energies. Integrated Sensors, LLC proposes the use of a new type of high-performance scintillator material as the key component in a novel beam monitoring system designed to provide important advantages over current technology. A novel new type of scintillator material is proposed that falls in the category of being an “intrinsic” scintillator and appears to be significantly more radiation damage resistant than comparable scintillator materials, while providing higher efficiency with reduced energy straggling. A novel beam monitoring system has been designed for this material with continuous real-time high-speed readout of beam position, shape, intensity, with high spatial resolution and single-particle sensitivity/position capability. The system is designed to self-calibrate and should last many years before requiring service. The Phase-I program succeeded in demonstrating not only feasibility, but measured performance exceeding the proposed goals/objectives in terms of radiation damage resistance, fast timing, high spatial resolution, and minimal energy straggling. An improved design was developed for integration into the NSCL/FRIB beam line in Phase-II at Michigan State University with possible future testing at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility and Brookhaven National Laboratory. The Phase-II program will build and test the proposed beam monitor system at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, the latter on the NSCL/FRIB beam line. Based on the demonstrated Phase-I performance, the Integrated Sensors beam monitoring system offers a breath of capability not available in any other beam monitor system and should save more than a million dollars/year in beam tuning expense. The commercial applications for the proposed technology are scientific, industrial and medical. The scientific applications are primarily for nuclear physics. For industrial applications there are more than ten thousand small accelerators and many could benefit by the proposed technology. However, the greatest benefit is in the medical field for the treatment of cancer by external beam radiation therapy. The proposed technology should improve the efficacy of treatment while lowering cost by providing better and faster beam monitoring and better beam control.